Solomon spent seven years building the First Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, I Kings 6:38. Verse 1 of our reading for today tells us Solomon and those who worked for those seven years were now finished.

This permanent worship center for the Jewish people was now set to house
the "Ark of the Covenant", which had been standing in the temporary
"transportable worship center", the Tabernacle in Jerusalem where King
David had brought it.

Prior to King Solomon placing the Ark in the Holy of Holies it had
rested in a Tabernacle that King David provided for this very sacred
piece of Temple furniture. The Tabernacle, housing the Ark, was erected
by David in the City of David, Zion and also known as Jerusalem, the
original site to the south of the Temple Mount.

This account of moving the Ark from the Tabernacle to the Temple took
place during the "Feast of Tabernacles" that was being celebrated in
Jerusalem at the time, verse 3.

This is thrilling to read, the account of what happened as the priest
brought the Ark into the Holy of Holies of the newly built Temple, verses 11-14.
The "Glory of the Lord" rested on the "Mercy Seat" of the Ark, between
the outstretched wings of the cherubim atop the Ark. It was the presence
of the Lord, on the Ark, that caused such a blessing to the priests and
the rest of the workers in and around the Temple.

The Ark was a "prototype", a model of the "One to come", Jesus Himself.
In Jeremiah, the ancient Jewish prophet tells that in a coming Temple -
the one Jesus will build and rule and reign from, Zechariah 6:12-13, in that Temple there will be no Ark of the Covenant, Jeremiah 3:16.

In the Temple the Messiah Jesus will build at the end of the Tribulation
there will be no Ark. The reason is that the Ark is the model of Him to
come. When you have the real thing, you no longer need the model.

However, in the next Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the
"Tribulation Temple", there will be a need for the Ark. Those preparing
for the next Temple know exactly where the Ark is located today, under
the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount, II Chronicles 35:3

The Ark is ready to be taken into the Holy of Holies in the Tribulation
Temple - that is how close we are to that Temple, which will be erected
on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Remember, the Rapture, Jesus calling us to join Him in the heavenlies, happens before that Tribulation Temple is built.

PRAYER THOUGHT: Help me this day to live as if the Rapture will happen today, because it may well happen today.